The Infection
by TheWritersBlock123
Summary: What if the burn Katniss received on her leg was more serious than first thought? Hurt/Comfort Katniss/Peeta


**A/N: Hey guys! This is my second fanfiction. Hope you enjoy! **** As always constructive criticism is welcome. Sadly, I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its amazing characters. This fanfic is going to be another What If. What if the burn Katniss received during the first games was more serious than first expected? Set during the first book/movie. **

**The medical side of things is inspired by one my own experiences. I didn't get infected thankfully, but it came close. It was a pretty deep gash on my knee, about the size of a ping pong ball and deep enough to almost require stitches. I was on school camp at the time, so I managed all the activities with a shredded knee. Rated T just to safe and for the description of the wound.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Hunger Games series, it all belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

Katniss was running. Running as fast as she could away from the fire. The angry raw burn on her right leg was burning with the heat of a thousand suns. Still she ran. Her breath was coming hard and fast. Lungs aching, leg burning, she ran. Finally, when Katniss knew she had out ran the blaze, she stopped. She leant against a big mossy tree and stood panting. She looked down and say blood dripping out of the wound on her leg.

Katniss shifted her bow and quiver and tore off her backpack and searched for the medical kit she knew was in there. In the kit was saline water, sterile gauze pads and bandages. Katniss carefully rolled up the leg of her pants. She twisted the top off one of the little clear bottles of saline water and gritted her teeth, pouring it onto her leg. She grunted in pain, but it was necessary. The saline water would help wash out any infection and grime in the wound. Then she placed one of the pads on the wound and tightly applied the bandage.

'_That should help.'_ She though in satisfaction. Next to find a decent tree, scale it, and get some sleep.

* * *

'_Hanging out with the Careers is getting too risky.'_ Thought Peeta. _'I need to get away.' _

Peeta was on watch when he decided that it would be a good time to sneak away. He grabbed one of the backpacks, shouldered it, and quietly slunk away. He crept through the under growth, the trees overhead and foliage littering the bush floor. The moon and stars could be glimpsed between the gaps in the leaves. Peeta wanted to put as much distance between him and the Careers as he could.

He walked in what he thought to be North for at least a good 40 minutes, then he heard the beautiful sound of running water. He kept going and came upon a wide river. Peeta stopped and pulled out a metal flask from the backpack and filled it up the brim. While he quenched his thirst, he spotted a promising bit of bush not too far away. He walked over and when he pushed his way inside, he was shocked to discover it was a hidden entrance to a cave. It was dark and gloomy, but relatively safe. Peeta pulled out a sleeping bag and set himself up for the night.

* * *

Katniss woke at dawn to the chirping of the birds around her tree top bed. She undid the red rope that held her in the tree overnight and pulled off the waterproof tarpaulin from her legs. Then she noticed the pulsing coming from her thigh. She gingerly unwrapped the bandage and tried to pull of the gauze. It was stuck to her leg with both dried and wet pus. Katniss hissed in pain and pulled her pack off her back. She hated to waste any water but there was no way this was coming off without being soaked first.

She carefully tipped water over the pad and gently tried to pull it off. It came off to reveal a vomit worthy sight. The wound was a yellow-green round the edge and had pus oozing out of the middle. Katniss gasped at the sight and tried not to panic. An infection out here could be deadly. It must have gotten dirt in it during the tumble down the bank in her efforts to escape the blaze. Her only hope was now Haymitch could find a sponsor willing to pay to send some kind of miracle medicine to her.

* * *

Peeta woke at dawn as well. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He stomach let out one of the loudest growls he had ever heard. He rolled his eyes and climbed out of the warm, sort sleeping bag. As he walked over to the entrance, listened to the bird song. It filled Peeta with peace. He crawled carefully out between the bushes sheltering the cave mouth from the rest of the world and proceeded to find food.

'_I wish I had something along the lines of a bow or some throwing knives to get some fresh meat.' _But he had nothing, so he had to settle for finding fresh berries or mushrooms that were safe to eat.

* * *

Katniss re-wrapped the wound with a fresh pad and decided that she need to find food and soon. She carefully climbed down the tree trying her hardest to keep her balance. She was feeling hot dizzy and feverish.

'_There is no way I'm going to survive this.' _Katniss thought grimly. _'The infection is just too bad. I'm sorry Prim.'_

Katniss collapsed suddenly with a groan, her vision swimming. She felt way too hot. The bush swam in a blur of greens and browns. Then a figure came into view.

"Peeta?" Katniss murmured groggily.

"It's okay Katniss, I've got you." She heard Peeta's voice say distantly. Then her vision went black.

* * *

Peeta found some edible berries and mushrooms and had gathered them up in his pack when he heard a crunch of a stick underfoot. He crouched down and held his breath, hoping desperately it wasn't one of the Careers. A thud echoed out around the forest followed by a groan.

'_That sounded a lot like Katniss.' _Thought Peeta. He slunk quietly towards the noise and there was Katniss. Lying on the ground looking like she was in great pain.

"Peeta?" She murmured groggily.

Peeta's heart leapt. He would never get sick of hearing her voice.

"It's okay Katniss, I've got you." He said softly. He watched in panic as her eyes seemed to roll back in her head.

"No Katniss stay awake!" He said while gently shaking her shoulder. "Stay with me!"

There was no reply from the unconscious girl that lay before him. He carefully picked her up, gathered up her bow, quiver, and bag, and headed back towards the cave. Gently, he manoeuvred her between the bushes and into the cave.

Peeta laid Katniss down on the sleeping bag. He noticed a bandage on her right leg.

'_Oh no oh no oh no oh no.' _He thought desperately. He unwound the bandage from her leg and tried to pull off the no longer sterile pad from her leg. But as Katniss had found earlier, the pus had dried and was acting as a glue between the wound and the cotton of the gauze. Katniss shifted and groaned presumably in pain. Then her beautiful storm grey eyes flickered open.

* * *

Katniss's eyes flickered open and there was Peeta. He was looking down at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" Peeta said, care and concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, just a bit dizzy." She lied. "I'll leave now and not waste any of your time."

"No can-do Katniss."

That was when Katniss realised her leg was out in the air. She sat up and immediately regretted it. Her head spun, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She tasted bile in her mouth and tried desperately to keep it in. She succeeded and lay back down with a groan.

"Easy there Katniss, you're just going to do more harm." Peeta's calming, steady voice broke through the dizziness.

"Your leg is infected, and you've got a fever."

Now that he mentioned it her body felt like it was on fire and her leg was throbbing hard.

"There's nothing I can do to help." Peeta said sorrowfully.

"Stay with me." Rasped Katniss. Peeta laid down beside her and drew her close to his chest. Katniss snuggled in and heaved a sigh. Within a few seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

Peeta stayed with Katniss snuggled against his chest for a while. Later, he heard the 'blink, blink' of a parachute. He eased the sleeping Katniss off his chest and crawled out of the cave mouth and bushes. And there, lying on the flat stones of the river bed, was a parachute. Attached to it was a silver pod. Peeta cracked open the pod and in it was a note.

This is antiseptic burn cream. Use generously and keep her alive. – H

Peeta sighed in relief and crawled back into the cave. He shifted Katniss's bow out if the way and crouched beside her leg. He unwrapped the bandage and soaked the gauze pad off. Her wound was angry red and full of pus. The edges were still a gross yellow-green. Peeta went to smear it over her wound with is finger but decided against it. Instead he reached for the medical kit in her backpack. He dug out a clean gauze pad and folded it up in a triangle.

He wiped a bit of the pus off with the point. Katniss stirred in her sleep. He dug out another gauze pad and folded it up into a triangle, the same as the last. Then he put a big blob of cream on the point.

"Sorry Katniss. This is going to sting like hell." He murmured in apology. Then he started smearing the cream over the now pus free wound. Katniss woke with a cry of pain.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry." He told her. "But its necessary."

Katniss ground out a curse between gritted teeth and hissed in pain. Peeta continued carefully putting the cream all over her wound and then wrapping it back up in a new pad and bandage. He crawled over to Katniss's head where she was whimpering in pain. He gently pulled her head into his lap.

"Your okay. I'm here, just get some sleep now." He whispered, stroking her hair. Katniss let go a big puff of air and slipped back into sleep. Peeta lifted her head off of his lap and laid down next to her, pulling her close. He closed his eyes and joined Katniss in the realm of sleep.

* * *

Katniss's eyes fluttered open. She felt warm. There was something solid pressed against her side. She looked over and realized it was Peeta. As she looked upon his sleeping figure, his gorgeous sky-blue eyes blinked open.

"Hey Peeta." Katniss rasped, surprised at how dry her throat was.

"Morning." Replied Peeta sleepily. "How's the leg?" He suddenly sounded very awake as he sat up and move down to her lower half. Katniss sat up gingerly.

"Better." She was telling the truth. Her leg wasn't as hot to the touch and her fever had broken. Peeta carefully unwrapped the bandage and tested the pad. It came off easily this time with no need to soak it. Underneath the wound had healed overnight. All that remained was a small scar. Katniss and Peeta exchanged relived sighs.

"Thanks, for everything." Said Katniss shyly.

"No problem." Replied Peeta just as shy. They sat in a moment of silence, then Katniss made a move towards her backpack and pulled out the metal flask that had a small amount of water left.

"Let me fill that up." Peeta said. "There is a river just outside."

"I'll come with you." Said Katniss who was desperate to stretch her legs. They both crawled out of the bushes, Katniss a little stiff in the right leg. Peeta stood up and turned to heave Katniss to her feet. Katniss stumbled and Peeta caught her, both blushing slightly. Peeta made sure she was steady on her feet then turned and walked to the river.

Katniss look up at the sky and thought,

'_I made it Prim. I did it and I promise I will make it home to you.'_

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**Hope you enjoyed! Remember to Rate and Review! **


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